Strap wrench



Dec. 18 1923.

1,478,11116) w. A. ELLISON STRAP WRENCH Filed A112- 2, 1922 Inven'ior.William A. Ellison byMMJ/W Z atented 39cc; 18. 1923.

WILLIAM A. ELLISON, 0F SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DAVID E.MURPHY, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

STRAP WRENCH.

Application filed August 2 1922. Serial No. 579,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VJrLLrAM A. ELLISON, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Strap V i Trenches, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to strap pipe wrenches and particularly towrenches of the type in which the strap is detachably and adjustablysecured to the wrench body. The advantage of this construction is thatwhen the strap begins to wear at one point itcan be shifted relative tothe wrench body so as to bring the wear at another point.

My present invention has for its object to provide a novel and simplemeans for thus detachably securing the strap to the wrench body.

The features wherein my invention resides will be more fully hereinafterset forth and then pointed out in the appended claim.

11 the drawings;

1 is a side view of a portion of a pipe wrench embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

3 is asection on the line 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a perspective view of the wedgeshaped anchoring member.

The wrench comprises a wrench body 1 in the form of a handle which isprovided at one end with a curved gripping or biting nose 2. 3 indicatesthe strap and this is secured at one end to the wrench body and thenpasses around the pipe i and over the nose 2 and then back along thehandle of the wrench body.

One way to use the wrench is as shown in Fig. 2 and when the end of thewrench handle is moved downwardly the action of the clamping biting noseagainst the strap causes it to grip the pipe with sufficient friction toturn the latter all as usual in strap wrenches.

In my improved wrench the handle 1 is formed with the twolaterally-extending arms 5 that are connected at their outer ends by thebridge portion 6, thus leaving a space 7 bounded on two opposite sidesby the arms 5 and the other two sides by the body of the wrench and thewrench 6.

The arms 5 are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the strap 3and this space 7 constitutes a strap-receiving openmg through which thestrap extends.

For anchoring the strap to the wrench I propose to use the wedge-shapedanchoring member 8, which is of a length equal to the width of the strapand which, therefore, can be inserted-into the aperture 7.

in applying the wrench to a pipe 4:, the strap 3 will be passed aroundthe pipe and both ends of the strap inserted through the aperture 7, oneend 10 of the strap lying along the inner edge of the handle 1. Iheother end of the strap is formed into a loop 9 into which the anchoringmember 8 is inserted and then the loop with the enclosed anchoringmember 8 is drawn into the opening '2', the open end of the loop and thepointed end of the wedge-shaped anchoring member entering said openingfrom the rear. The end 10 of the strap is then pulled to the rear todraw the strap tightly around the strap a and the wrench is then incondition for use as shown in Fig. 1.

The inner face 11 of the bridge 6 is preferably inclined to correspondto the inclination of the wedge 8. When the wrench is used and downwardpressure is applied on the handle 1 the strain on the strap will tend todraw the loop into the opening 7 but because of the presence of theanchoring wedge 8 and also because of the inclined face 11, the loop 9with its enclosed wedge is prevented from being drawn through theaperture 7 and the strap is thereby firmly anchored to the wrench.

In the use of the wrench the portion 12 of the strap which passes overthe nose 2 is that which is subjected to the greatest wear and strainand if the strap shows signs of weakening at this point then the loop 9with its enclosed wedge may be removed from the aperture '3 and thestrap adjusted so as to form the loop 9 in another portion thereofthereby bringing a difierent portion of the strap in engagement with thenose 2.

This construction is very simple and inerpensive to manufacture. It willfirmly and securely anchor the end of the strap to the wrench and itprovides means whereby the strap may be readily adjusted to bringdifferent portions thereof into engagement with the nose 2.

I claim.

A strap wrench comprising a wrench body having a curved gripping noseand also having ewe arms extending laterally therefrom on the sidethereoftoward which the nose curves, :said (arms being connected attheir outer ends by a bridge member thereby forming a strap-receivingopening, a Wedgeshaped anchoring member occupying said opening, and astrap extending through said opening over said nose and around the 10article to be gripped and then back over the nose and through saidopening again, the end of the strap being bent around the anchoringmember and carried a third time through said opening, whereby when theWrench is used the strain on the strap tends to draw the anchoringmember into said opening and thereby anchor the end of the strap andclamp the body of the strap between the anchored end and the wrenchbody.

' In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification.

' WILLIAM A. nLLisoN.

